Setback-register



R. E. KIMBALL.

SETBACK REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 221 1915.

Patented Sept. 14, 19269;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnveizfoif 4'1 MGQ R. E. KIMBALL. SETBACK REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.22,1915- Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- T 0 all whom -it may concern:

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. KIMBALL, or CLEVELAND, onro.

SETBACK-REGISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Se t 14 192(} Application filed October 22, 1915. Serial No. 57,284;

ters, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

This invention relates to a set-back register adapted especially for use with ticket and railway transfer counters, although capable of use for other purposes. This device has particular utility in connection with a machine for counting tickets and transfers constituting the subject-matter of .a companion application filed by me of even date herewith.

The object of the present invention is,

to provide a setbackregister whichcan be operated at a very high speed and which can be quickly and easily set back to zero.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which'will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the set-back register with the set-back lever in section and with the top or cover removed so as to show the interior construction; Fig. 2 is a side view of .the

same with parts in section and other parts broken away; Fig. 3 is a section substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow; Fig. 4 is a section substantially along the line 14 of Fig.2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 5 is an inside detail view illustrating some of the parts for alining the counting or registering wheels during the set-back operatlon; Fig.

'6- is a section substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow; Fig.7 is a detail view of one of the parts of theset-back'mechanism.

. The set-back register comprises a rectangular' casing or box 10 which incloses the major part of the mechanism, this box having in the top 10 a glass or window 10 which is located directly above the countassociated with 'the hundreds wheel. two gears 21 are engaged by pawls 22 which ing or registering wheels. The registering mechanism proper includes a series of counting; or registering wheels with peripheral counting numerals from zero to nine, the mechanism here shown having. units, tens and hundreds wheels desig-- nated 11, 12 and 13. Associated with each counting Wheel is a one tooth carrying wheel 14 and also a full-toothed gear 15, each of the countingvwheels being between one of the'single toothed gears l l and one As will appear subseof the gears 15. quentlyythe single toothed gears associated with the units and tens wheels only are employed for the carrying operation, while the single toothedwheel associated with the hundreds wheel 13 is utilized with the other two single toothed wheels for alining the counting wheels during the set-back operation. Furthermore, thegears 15 associated with the tens and hundreds wheels 12and 13 form part of the carrying mechanism, whereas the gear 15 associated with the units wheel 11 is simply a driving gear which is engaged by a larger gear 16 on the driving shaft 17 which is rotated to actuate the register by'a-ny suitable mechanism such as a ticket or transfer counting machine. may be here stated also that the gear 16 drives'a gear' 18 on a shaft 19 adapted to operate a totalizer or total counter or register 20, the latter constituting no part of the present invention.

The carrying mechanism includes in addition'to the single toothed gears 14 and the gears 15 two gears 21 which are mounted to turn independently on a short shaft supported by the casing, each gear 21 being about twice the width of the gears 15, and one of these gears 21 beingadapted to trans mit movement from the single toothed gear 14 associated with the units wheel to the gear 15 associated with the tens wheel 12, and the other gear 21 being adapted to transmit movement from the single toothed gear 14:

associated with the tens wheel to the gearr 15 he .The counting wheels 11, 12 and13, the

three single toothed gears '14: and the three gears 15, are mounted upon a shaft 23 which is not directly supported in thecasing but ina'U-shaped frame or yoke comprising a,

p 11,12 and 13, the

pair of arms 24 securedat their lower ends;

,one of ,the counting wheels, a single toothed gear 14 and a full toothed gear '15. The three parts of each unit are either integrally formed or are fastened together in such a manner that they turn 111' unison. The

' counting wheels and carrying gears 14 and 15, also theshaft' 23 upon'which said wheels the units wheel 11 will make member 27 having t mechanism has the (soda-1 wheels to zero the and gears are-mounted, are normally in the position shown in Figs. gear 15 (associated with the units wheel 11) engaging the gear 16 and with the two wide gears 21 engaging the gears 15 associated with the tens and hundreds wheels. when the parts are in this position the apparatus acts in a well known manner to count the revolutions or fractionsof revolutions of the shaft 17.. 'In the present case for each revolution of the shaft 17 the counting wheels are turned through 20 counting-spaces, a. (2., two complete revolutions and the tens wheel will make two-tenths of a revolution. This is accomplished by a toothed driving wheel 26 which is mounted on the end of the shaft 17 pre viouslyreferred to and by a rotary actuating two pins28 which engage in the teeth of the wheel 26 and at each half revolution of the member 27 turn the wheel 26 one step or through one-twentieth of.a

rlving or transmitting advantage that the member 26 and the train of mechanism connected revolution. This, d

theretostarts andlstops slowly, for at the beginning and at the end of each half revo- 7 lution of the member 27 the two pins 28.

and substantial tangential movement on the teeth of wheel26, the result being that even though the member 27 is 'ven Very rapidly there. will be no hammering or hanging of the gears and liability of breakageor of rapid deterioration is (Ed-.2 By this particular driving means I am enabled also to employa simple form of carrying mechanism for the counting wheels. V i

When it is desired to set back the counting yoke or frame carrying thecounting and carrying wheels is swung about the axis of the shaft 25 so as tomove have a sliding the three gears 15 outofengag'ement with' the gears 16, 21, 21

which they normally engage and into engagement with three normally stationary set-back gears 30 which are in alinement or in the same planes with the '45, hereinafter referred to,

1 and2, with the -turn the gears 15 and wheels to bring the corresponding numerals.

three gears15, and are so located in the casen the yoke or casing previously is swung through an arc of a few fairly tightly on the shaft by means of a surrounds one end of beyond one side of the casing, and clamps the gears and disks of opposite sides of the-gears between a pair of-shoulders or abutments, one fixed to the shaft and consisting of the hub of the gear and the other consisting of a cam 53 hereinafter referred said three gears 15 will engage l ed on a shaft 31 supported by the casing and I are held frictionally coil spring 32 which" the shaft projecting leather which are on to and carried by a member 33 which rotates with the shaft 31 but may slide relative thereto under the action of the spring 32L- These gears, which, while rotatable withthe shaft 31 and capable of slipping thereon when heldagainst rotation, are designedto hence the counting on the counting wheelsinto alinement. For the purpose of accomplishing the alim'ng of the numerals of the countingwheels, I provide adjacent the gears 30 shoulders or stops 34 in the form of stationaryfingers which are supported by the casing directly opposite the single toothed gears 14 and are so positioned that when the gears 135 112 rotated by the gears 30 these shoulders are in the path of movement of the teeth on the single toothed gears 14. In consequence, by. the

rotation of the shaft 31 the gears 15 be rotated, causing the rotation of the single toothed gears. 14 as well as the counting wheels until the teeth of the single toothed gears 14 engage the stops or shoulders 34 which stop the rotation of the single toothed gears, the counting wheels and the gears 15.

When the tooth ofany one single toothed gear engages the shoulder, therotation of gear 30 withthe associated gear .15 is stopped, but the othertwo gears 30 will con tinue their rotation until the teeth of the three singletoothed gears engage thethree shoulders, in other words, until-the numerals on the counting wheels are in aline ment. When this occurs the gzero numerals are in' alinement but are not at counting wheels, but in the particular embodiment of the mechanism here shown the v 120 5 numerals are in line at thetop of the wheels, and this necessitates the backward rotation of the counting wheels after the .isdone will be subsequently the top of the,

numerals have been alined, through substan-- :the i iop wheels in the manner above explained and actuating them,-in other words, for the purpose of accomplishing the set-back operation quickly,"I employ a shifting lever which is loosely mounted on one end'of a shaft 36 projecting outwardly from one side of the casing. This lever, which is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a coil spring 37, has connected to it a forwardly projecting link 38 which is just outside of one of the side walls of the casing. This link has at its forward end an elongated slot 38 engaged by a pin 39 extendinglaterally from an arm or lever 40 which is connected by a short link 41 to a pin 24 projecting from one of'the 'arms 24 of the yoke carrying the counting wheels. A spring 42 which is weaker than the spring 37 tends to shift the yoke and counting wheels "away from the position shown in Fig. 2 over toward the set-back gears 30,

but'the link 38 under the action of the spring 37 normally'holds the yoke and the counting wheels in the position shown .in Fig.2 or with the gears 15 engaging the, gears 16, 21, 21. It will be seen, therefore, that when the lever 35 is swung to the right, asviewed in Fig. 2, during the initial movement of the lever .the yoke will be swung by the, spring 42 to the right carrying the gears 15 into mesh with the set-back gears 30; and it may be here stated that when. they are thus swung over by the spring 42 the pivotalcenters of the two members 40, 41, are brought so nearly in alinement that even though a fairly weak spring 42 is employed the action of the teeth of the gears 30 will not throw the gears 15 out'lof mesh therewith even when the single tooth gears en gage the stops, and in spite of the fact that there is naturally a-tendency for the driv- 35 turns just inside of the casing and en} much shorter slot 48 in the-lever 35.

ing gears, 2'. e. in this instance the set-back gears, to push the gears which engage them in an outward direction. After the yoke and counting wheels have been swung in the manner above stated during the initial movement of the lever 35, further or continued movement of the lever causes the rotation; of the gears 30 and hence of the gears and wheels on the shaft 23, and this is brought about by a gear sector 44 which is fixed to the shaft 36 about which the lever but they are turned by the'lever 35 immediately after the yoke carrying the counting and c'arrying wheels is swung so as to bring the gears 15 into engagement with the gears 30.

Aspreviously stated, when the numerals on the counting wheels are brought into gears 30 the 5 numerals of the three wheels are in alinement at the top of the wheels and it becomes necessary to rotate the counting. wheels backward. so as to bring the zero numerals to the top of the counting wheels.

This is done by'rotating the set-back gears "30 backward on the return movement of a lever 35, but in order that the backward rotation of the counting wheels may be stopped with the zero numerals in al1nealinement by the rotation of the setback I ment at the tops of the wheels, it is neces sary to sto the backward rotation of the gears 30 w en the counting wheels' are in just the right position and before the end of the return movement of the lever 35.

This is accomplished by providing in connection with thethree set-back gears 30 a stop pawl or plate 50'which'is wide enough to engage all three gears 30 and is pressed. yieldingly toward the same'by a weak spring (see Fig. 3), the said plate or pawl 50 being pivotally mounted on apin 52 extending inwardly from one of the side walls of the casing.

Acting in conjunction with this pawl 50 and for the purpose of controlling its action,

I provide on the shaft 31 a disk or cam 53 which rotates with the shaft 31 opposite one end of the pawl 50. This disk or cam, the detail of 'whichis shown in Fig. 7, during a portion of its revolution does not engage the pawl which is then permitted by the action of the spring to engage the teeth of the gears 30, and it has a peripheral portion.

which during another portion of the revolution of the shaft 31 engages the pawl 50 and lifts the same away from. or out of engagement with the teeth of the gears 30, The parts are so proportioned that when the lever 35 is moved forwardly and during the early part of the forward rotation of the 1 gears 30 counter-clockwise in Fig. 2 the pawl 5'0rides freely over the teeth of the gears 30, but during the latter part of the movement the raised part of the cam or disk 53 engages and lifts the pawl 50 away from .the teeth. Thence, during the early part of the return movement of the lever 35 because the pawl engages the raised peripheral surface of cam 53, it is held out of engagement with the teeth of the gears 30, permitting the backward rotation of the gears 30 to give .a backward or reverse rotation to the counting wheels.- The pawl 50 rides on the raised peripheral surface of the cam or disk 53 until the zero numerals of the countingwheels are in alinement at the top of the occurs the gears 30 s' in turn surrounds the shaft wheels, or where they should be locatedwhen the counters are set back to zero when the lowered periphery of the cam engages the 'pawl, whereupon the pawl 50 drops inwardly and-immediately locks the gears '30 against further rotation. As soon as this ply slip on the shaft 31 but the shaft continues torotate until the sector 44 has reached its normal or initial position,in other words, when the pin 46 reaches the end of the slot 47, whereupon the further or continued movementof the lever 35 under the action of the spring 37 and through the'instrumentality of the link 38' shifts the yoke supporting the counting wheels and. carrying gears back to normal position. The register has now been set ackto zero. Preferably the sector 44 v is restored to normal position by a rather stiff coil spring 55 which surrounds the hub of the sector, which 36, ,as shown particularly in Fig. 3, so that when the lever ,35 1s moved from normal osition to the end. of its forward stroke 0th spring- 37 andy55 are compressed or put undertension andboth sprin tion to return the after the lever 35 is released until the sector overcomes the opposing action zero all mg gears is V the stops 34 after reaches the end of its backward movement, and when this'occ'urs the remainder of the return movement is accomplished bythe spring 37. This spring 37 acting as it does throughthe link 38 on the pin 39, easily of the spring ,It will be seen, therefore, that when the operator desires to set back the register to that it necessary for him to do is to give a quick stroke then release it.] As the parts move easily and as the'length of the stroke is short, no appreciable amount of time is required for the setback operation. As a matter practice the forward and return-movement of the lever, in other words, the complete set-back operation, requires not'more than a second of time, although itcould be set back even more quickly than thatif necessary. 1

- Tolexplain the operation brie fly and in a manner than above, it may tion, and the disk until the sector therefore, act in conjunc parts to normal position constitutes the subject to the lever 35 and.

of fact, in

mg numerals on the three counting wheels which and during the reor cam 53.1iftsthe pawl 50 away from the teeth of the gears 30, the

edge of the pawl part or fraction of a revolution. When the lever reaches the endof its forward movement by the pin 46 engaging the end of the slot 47 the operator can either release the lever or manually move it backward. Ordinarily he will release it so as to permit the springs to restore the parts to normal position and to complete the remainder of the of the retlirn movement of the lever the gears 30 are-rotated backward clockwisein F 1g. 2, brlnging the zero counting numeralsto the top of, the counting wheels, where" drops into the gears 30 upon thepawl 50v stopping their further rotation and causing the gears 30 to slip on shaft'31 during the remainder of the rotation of said shaft or reaches the end of its return riding on the arc-shaped perlphery of the cam 53 for a predetermined set-back operation. During the early part movement, whereupon the spring 37 W com-- pletes the return movement of the'lever and finally shifts the yoke and counting wheels backto the normal position with all parts ready foranother count.

Asbefore' stated, this set-back register. has i particular utility in connection with the ticket or transfer counting machine which matter of niy copending or companion application filed of even date herewith. Whenused in conjnnction with such a machine the operator is enabled to count transfers or tickets brought in by the different conductors. and to set back the register after each individual count with practically. eflort. Not only back to zero, but

no delay and very little is the register quickly set 1tis very reliable in action and will stand the wear andtear of constant use for a very long period of time, the con structioni being such that no part is me-,

chanically weak and liable to get out of order. The long life and durability .is due not only to" the construction of the set-back register as a whole, but alseto the particu lar means here shown for transmitting the counting operations.

movement to the driving 17 during Many changes may be made in the-ar-' rangement of parts and details of construction without alfecting the principle of the operation and without materially afi 'ecting the very hi h eflicienc'y ofthe device as,a whole, and aim in my claims to cover all changes and modifications which donot involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the broadest of the appended claims. Having thus described I claim ism- 1. In aset-back" register, registering mechanism comprising counting. wheels with counting numerals, and 3 carrying my invention, what I means including single toothed gears adjacent the carrying wheels, and set-back mechanism comprising stop devices arranged opposite the single toothed gears, and means for turning the wheels so .as to bring corresponding numerals into alinement by the engagement of the teeth of the 'difierent single toothed'gears with said'stop toothed gears and adapted to be engaged by the teeth thereof for separately limiting and stopping the movement of said wheels so as to bring corresponding numerals into alinement with certain alined numerals in a; given position, and means for causing simultaneous rotation of -all the counting "wheels through a definite portion of a revolution to bring said certain alined numerals into another given position: I

,3. In a set-back register, registering mechanism including counting wheels with counting numerals and carrying mechanism, comprising single toothed gears adjacent to and rotatable with the counting wheels,

. and set-back mechanism including stop demechanism including a shaft, counting 7. wheels havin vices located iii predetermined positions with respect to the single toothed gears, and

means for independently turning said counting wheels so as to aline corresponding numerals, for shifting the counting wheels into operative relationship with said turning means, and for shifting the single toothed gears into a position such that the stop devices will be engaged by said single toothed gears and stop the rotation of said 'wheels'with the corresponding numerals in alinement and with the zero numerals in'a predetermined position for simultaneously turning said wheels to bring the zero 'nu-- merals to another predetermined position and for returning saidcouriting wheels to normal position. I

' 4c. In a set-back register, registering numerals thereon and full toothed and single toothed gears for turninglthe same mounted on the shaft, and setback mechanism comprising stop devices, a rotary shaft having set-back gears thereon said gears being capable of independent moveme'nton the shaft, means for shifting said first named shaft so as to bring the full toothed gears thereon into operative relation with said set-back gears and so as to position the single toothed gears that the teeth thereof will engage the stop devices, and means for rotating said set-back gears first in one direction to aline the numerals with the zero numerals in a given position and then in the other direction to simultaneously turn all the counting wheels through a predetermined fraction of a revolution to bring the zero numerals to another given position.

5. In a set-back register, registering mechanism including a shaft,- counting wheels having numerals thereon and full toothed and single toothed gears for turning the same mounted on the shaft, and setback mechanism comprising stop devices located opposite the single toothed gears, a rotary shaft having set-back gears thereon said gears being capable of independent movement on the shaft, means for shifting said first named shaft so as to bring the full toothed gears thereon into operative relation with said set-back gears and the single toothed gears to a position such that when they are rotated the teeth thereof will engage the stop devices, and means for rotating said set-back gears so as to turn the counting wheels until each is brought to a predetermined position with corresponding numerals of all wheels in alinement with the zero numerals in a given position "and for subsequently rotating" said set-back gears so as to turn all counting wheelssim'ultaneousiythrough a predetermined degree of rotation to bring the zero numerals to another given position.

6. In a set-back register, registering mechanismincluding a shaft, counting wheels having numerals thereon and full toothed and single toothed gears for turning the same mounted on the shaft, and set-back mechanism comprising stop devices located opposite the single toothed gears, a rotary shaft having set-back gears thereon said gears being capable of independent move- \ment von the shaft, means for shifting said first named shaft so as to bring the full toothed gears thereon into operative relation with said set-back gears and the single toothed gears to a position such that the teeth thereof will engage the stop devices, means for rotating said set-back gears so as to turn the counting wheels until each is brought to a" predeterminedposition with corresponding numerals of all wheels in alin'ement and with the zero numerals in a given position and subsequently rotating said set-back gears soas to turn all counting wheels simultaneously through a predetermined degree of rotation, and means for stopping the rotation of said set-back gears when said counting wheels have been simul- '35 with the counting taneously moved a predetermined amount and the zero numerals are in a second given W levenmovable a'predetermined distance in I one direction and then a predetermined distance in the reverse direction, a connection between said lever and said support-to move set-back'gears and the counting wheels '20. the numerals of the latter have been alined and for simultaneously rotating the count ing wheels during the reverse movement of the lever, stop devices arranged opposite the 5 Single toothedfgears and adapted to be en'- gaged 'by the teeth thereof when the full toothed gears are rotated by. the set-back gears, and a locking device controlled by the a movement ofthe said lever for stopping the" rotation of said set-back gears; after they have been-rotated simultaneously a predetermined amount. I Y v 8. In a set-back register, a shaft provided wit counting wheels. and. operating and single toothed carrying gears associated wheels, drivingor actuab; mg gears normally enga said operating bring the operating gears on the first named shaft into engagement with the set-back" gears and to bring the single toothed tov aposition such that teeth thereof will engage t he stop devices, for rotating the set-back gears in one direction to aline the numerals on the counting wheels, for rot tingthe set-back gears in the gears ingl gears, said means including a lever adapted to be moved through a given distance in one direction and thenthrough the 4 same distanee in the reverse direction, alost motion link connection between said lever and said support, 'and'a segmenthaving a lost motion connection with said lever and having a gear connection with said shaft carrying thefset-back gears, and a" stop dea vice for stopping the rotation of the setback gears-after they havesimultaneously rotated the countingwheels a given amount with thenumerals aimed. T f In testimony whereof, ll hereunto aflix my signature, I

- r p I ROBERT E. KIALL.

pwhen rotated, the 45 

